Repair unit for radio sets



Nov. 14, 1950 w. DOCKRAY ETAL 2,530,233

REPAIR UNIT FOR RADIO SETS Filed July 25, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I m/entor Willie L. Doc/rray Roger H. Bruesewifz 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 W. L. DOCKRAY EI'AL REPAIR UNIT FOR RADIO SETS Nov. 14, 1950 Filed July 23,

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Application July 23, 1947, Serial No. 762,944

1 This invention relates to work benches for repairing radio'sets and similar appliances and it has for its main object to provide a repair unit which carries not only instruments, testing appliances, connectors, tools and replacement units within convenient reach of the repair worker but which also carries the radiosetto be repaired within a free space held by laterally projecting adjustable clamping means, the angular position of which may be adjusted by the repair worker in the most convenient way. a

It is a further principal object of the invention to provide aunit of the aforesaid type, including a movable platform or carriage which supports two cabinets facing each other, arranged at a distance, so as to leave a free space betweenthem, said free space being occupied by the set to be repaired which is held by holding and clamping means projecting, from the two cabinets into the said free space. I

It is a further object of the invention to pro-, vide said cabinets with instrument panels, with drawers housing the tools and replacement units, with connectors iorestablishing connections with said instruments, and with fixedly connected testing appliances, adapted to be connected with the radio set held in the space between the cabinets.

It is a further object of the inventionto provide the cabinets on the side walls facing each other with supporting or holding means for one section, unit or element of a radio set, for instance the chassis and the components fixed on the same, said supporting means projecting to a variable and adjustable extent into the free space 8 Claims. (Cl. 2502-0) between the said side walls and iii-addition thereto with a holding frame-for holdingand fixing another separableunit,section or element, such as the loud speaker of the radio set during the repair work, in such a way that it is always held at a distance and in desired angular relationship with respect to the radio set held by said' supporting'means, so that the position of the chassis section of the radio-set may be adjusted in any desired way during the repair work without any stress on the connecting wires joining the two units or sections, for instance the loud speaker and the chassis section of the radio set.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means for adjusting the extent to which the supporting means project from the cabinets into the free space'between the side walls of the same. It is a still further object to hold the supporting mean and the holding frame of the loud speaker angularly adjustable and to provide means 01- releasably coupling them "so as-to provide for relative adjustment as well as for movement in common. 1 It is a still further object of the invention to provide readily releasable, preferably pedal operated locking means, for'holding both the clamp ing means and the holding frame of'the loud speaker in a desired angular position and for fen abling the repair worker to change this position. Still further objects will'be apparent from the following detailedspecification. The invention is illustrated in the accompany ing drawings showing one embodiment thereof It is however to be understood that this embodi ment is shown by way of example in order to explain the principle on which the invention is based and the best mode of applying it. 'Th specification does not attempt to give a survey of the various ways which may serve to carry the invention into effect. Modifications of the embodiment described are therefore not necessarily a departure from the invention.

, In the drawings: I V Figure 1 is an isometric view of the bench. Figure 2 is an elevational front viewof the bench, oneedge of the central portion being shown as broken away. Figure 3,.is a sectional elevational partial view of the central portion of the bench, thesection being taken along a vertical plane passing through the axis of the support. 3 ,1 Figure 4 is an elevational partial view of the shaft of the support and of the tracks, the sec: tion being taken along line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view of a detail. Y Figure'6 is a cross sectional view of the upper portion of the speaker support, the section being taken along line 66 of Figure 3. a

-As explained above the invention comprises a movable repair unit, which is usable in a repair workshop or which may be brought to the repair job and which not only contains all the necessary instruments and testing appliances, but also stores tools, replacement comppnents and other units which may be required for repairingor servicing radio sets.

When a repair has to be undertaken in a re pair shop in the customary manner the radio set is first carried to those benches or tables on which thetesting appliances are mounted in order to determine the nature and character of the fault or deficiency of the set or the condition in which the units or circuits are in. After determination of the fault the set is simply brought to a repair bench and is so placed that the unit or component to be repaired is at the top and repair work, such as unsoldering, insertion of a replacement unit, soldering of its connections to the proper connection of the set or other repairs can be carried out. If several components are defective, the set is turned around and is again placed by hand in the most convenient position and the second repair is made. As a rule, the speaker has to be removed from the frame in order to make the remainder of the set readily accessible, but the connecting wires are not removed so that the speaker dangles at the end of the connection wires and has to be taken care of separately every time the set is moved.

With the repair bench according to the invention the repair man, sitting near the bench, may

complete a repair job without leaving his seat,

thus saving time, labor and breakage. Moreover, the test appliances are so arranged that the denger of burning valuable components is reduced or eliminated and that the fuses of the repair shop it elf are not afiected by the testing or other operations.

The repair bench as shown in Figure 1 essentially consists of a carriagev or base frame Hi supportedon rollers l'! which make it readily movable. On'the ends of this base two chests or cabinets 12,13 are mounted at a distance from each other so that a free working space 54 results located above a platform 15,. which may he covered by arubber sheet It on'which the repair worker may place his feet. The platform may merely be a portion of the base l0.

Each chest or cabinet is provided with a number of drawers and shelves to be described below and may be closed by means of doors hinged to a partition wall or to the outer wall. Its top surface 89 is arranged at a suitable height so that it may serve as a table. Behind this table 89 instrument panels [1, I8 are located. The instrument oanel H, at the left in Figure l, is connected by means of a cord IS with the electric power supply of the shop or of the place to which the bench has been brought. The instrument panel l7 Lis'provided with its own fuse block 2! so that in the event that a short circuited line or apparatus is plugged into one of the outlets 22, 23 merely the fuse of the bench is blown.

A voltmeter 25 is connected across the fuse block and the supply line so that the voltage of the current supply may be currently checked by the operator in order to reduce the danger of damaging a set, if the bench is moved around and is connected with foreign or varying sources of power sup y. The voltmeter is connected with a switch 24, permitting to use it with a plurality of scales by varying the series resistance connected withit, so as to extend its range.

The two outlets 22, 23 are disposed near the working space I4 to permit ready simultaneous connection with the radio set under repair and with a soldering iron used during such repair.

The instrument panel l8 at the right which is mounted above the table top of cabinet i3 is provided with a milliampere meter 21, an ohm meter 28 and an ammeter 29 for low voltage currents. Each instrument is connected with pin-jacks 3!, 32 to plug in the circuit in connection with which the instrument is to be used.

The last instrument 3!] on this panel is a socalled battery indicator which consists of a. voltmeter without calibration, as conventionally used in connection with batteries and which cooperates in this case with a suitable selector switch 3d capable of adjusting the indicator for any battery voltage between 1.5 and 90 volts and above. This indicator is fitted with pin jacks 33 for connecting the battery to be tested with it. Moreover the indicator is connected with a battery compartment 36 in the right lower corner (Figure 2) of the cabinet l8 which contains a rubber box 3'! for accommodating a wet battery, an outlet 38 and a battery charger 39 of the customary type.

Each cabinet moreover contains a number of drawers and shelves some of which are permanently fitted with appliances. The left hand cabinet !2, for instance, contains drawers 35 for resistors, condensers, nuts and bolts and other components permanently used. One of the compartments is however permanently occupied by a signal tracer 49 of the customary type which permits' to trace and detect high, medium and low frequency currents and which is permanently connected with a battery or other source of current. The signal tracer 4D is diagrammatically indicatedand is provided with test cords which are applied to the circuits of the radio set to be tested with a signal detector or indicator and with all other equipment customarily used for this purpose.

the right hand cabinet two drawers or shelves are provided with fixedly mounted testing appliances. The drawer M contains the customary tube tester, whilev the compartment 42 contains the signal generator used in connection with the signal tracer. It generates high, medium or low, frequencies which can be traced through the circuits of a radio set by means of the signal tracer. Both these appliances are connected with sources of current supply by means of fixed connectionsarranged in the drawers or shelves and are therefore either permanently ready for operation (if a battery is used) or ready as soon as the cord of the bench is connected with a source of supply. The tube tester may be removable or may be mounted on a board or structure capable of being pulled out, so that it is readily accessible and usable.

The right hand cabinet moreover contains the wet battery compartment 36 which has already been described and a number of drawers 90 and shelves for hand tools and for miscellaneous parts and components. One of the drawers or shelves, preferably in the left hand cabinet may be reserved for blueprints of diagrams of connections and for books if necessary.

Into the working space [4 in front of which the repair worker is seated, the means for holding the radio set and those parts which are customarily detached from it during repair work project. These means are shown in Figures 3 and 4.

They comprise shafts 50, carrying at their ends fixed transverse holders or supporting clamps 52 and adiustable chassis clamps 54. The shafts 50 are slidably supported in sleeves 55 which are rotatably held in the inner side walls 57, 58 of the right hand and left hand cabinets respectively.

The shafts 55 carry collars 60 which are held on a stepped and threaded end portion Bl of the shaft by means of a nut. These collars in their turn are provided with lateral brackets 62 carrying a pair of rollers 63. The rollers are running on tracks 55 formed by angle irons, channel irons or other appropriately shaped irons. The angle irons 65 are fixed on the lower side of the top walls 89 of the two cabinets I2 and [3. It will therefore be readily understood that the shafts 50 may be moved towards each other and away from each other, while firmly guided by and held within the sleeves 56 on one hand and guided along the tracks 65 by the rollers 63 on the other hand.

In order to hold the shaft 50 against rotation within the sleeves 56 set screws 41 are provided which prevent relative rotation when they are tightened.

The sleeves 56 are held longitudinally but are rotatable. On the outer side of the walls 51, 5B of the two cabinets, which face each other, they are held by means of locking rings 66 which have either the shape of a collar integral with the sleeve or are fixed on said sleeve by welding or in any other appropriate manner. To prevent a longitudinal outward movement of the sleeve 56 the sleeves are provided on their outer ends with looking caps. The locking cap 61 on the right side in Figure 3, for instance, may be a simple disk fixed on the end face of the sleeve which is aligned with the wall by means of screws 15. The locking cap on the left hand sleeve however consists of a sleeve like plug 69 which covers entirely that portion of the sleeve 56 which projects from the wall 5? into the cabinet. The annular end face E3 of said cap abuts against the wall 51 of the cabinet, and as the cap is fixed on the sleeve 56 by means of screws 15, the sleeve is held fixedly between said end face 13 and the locking ring 66.

The sleeve portion which projects inwardly from the walls 57, 58 into the working space M carries the brackets H of a frame 16 acting as a speaker support. The brackets are fixedly connected or integral with the sleeves. The frame it! comprises in addition to the brackets H, two transverse parallel rods 12 on which strip or band like carrying brackets 14 are slidable and adjustable.

The strip or band like carrying brackets, as shown in Figure 6 are bent at their ends so as to form a U-shaped channel or groove 81 fitting over the two parallel rods l2. They are provided with bores 16, carrying bolts and nuts (not shown) by means of which the loud speaker of the set may be fixed. The loud speaker is thus supported independently of the radio set on said brackets, but is nevertheless held at a fixed and easily adjustable convenient distance from the set itself.

The end of the sleeve 56 which projects from the wall 5? into the cabinet l2 and the cap 69 which is seated on it is provided with a number of aligned bores 88 as seen in Figure 5. Eight bores are shown in the figure. Into these bores a locking rod l6 may project. This locking rod, as seen in Figure 2, reaches down to the base of the platform l5 and is guided in eyes or small brackets El fixed on wall 51. The end of the locking rod H3 passes through the base frame or carriage I 5 and is bent, so as to be U-shaped, the second leg of the U-shaped end projecting through a passage in the base frame into the working space M. The end of this leg is provided with a treadle 78. A spring 9! applied against the base frame 55 and against a collar 19 of the locking rod pushes the locking rod upwardly towards the shaft 50. It will thus be seen that when the locking rod enters one of the bores 88 it fixes its angular position and holds the sleeve against rotation. Upon withdrawal of the locking rod ?6, however, the sleeve and the bracket and frame structure of which it forms a part, may be freely rotated by the operator.

The chassis clamps '54 are carried by the shafts 50 in an adjustable manner. They pass through bores fis'of'the shafts and may be drawn out to the desired length and fixed by set screws 8!.

When making a repair the worker pulls outthe shafts 56 as far as necessary and sets the chassis of the radio set, indicated at in Figure 2:111 dotted lines, on the transverse fixed clamps 52, he then adjusts the chassis clamps 54 in such a manner that the radio set is firmly held; he then detaches the speaker and attaches it to the band brackets 74 as indicated by a dotted circle 96 in Figure 2. l

The set screws 4'! may be loosened and the shaft 56 may be rotated Without rotating the into correct position for repair, say with the underside up, by unlocking the locking rod, tuming the set around and locking it again. If the relative position between the bracket frame holding the speakerand the set is not to his liking he may readjust this position by means of the set screws 41.

The main advantage is to have the radio suspended in mid air, in any position which is desirable, while at the same time having all the tools, components and instruments at hand and within reach. A further main advantage consists in having the speaker with its connection wires intact fixed in a convenient relative position and moved with the set without straining the connection,

The repair worker 'is thus able to work quickly and to check and recheck audio gain, voltage drop and other values without any waste of time.

It will be readily seen that minorconstructive changes will not affect the result and do not form a departure from the invention.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A repair unit for radio sets provided with loud speakers, comprising a movable carriage, including a platform and two cabinets with vertical parallel side walls on the ends of the platform, the parallel vertical side walls of the cabinet facingeach other at a distance, said cabinets being provided with instrument panels, projecting therefrom, longitudinally movable and rotatable supporting means projecting into the space between the two cabinets facing each other to a variable and adjustable extent, for holding a section of the radio setto be repaired in the space above the platform at a selected point in a desired angle or position, and further supporting means for holding another section of the radio set arranged at a distance from said first named supporting means and rotatable around the axis of rotation of the first named supporting means, said further supporting means being provided with means for adjusting and fixing the angular position of the said further supporting means with'respect to the first named supporting means.

2. A repair unit for radio sets with loud speakers, comprising a movable carriage, including a fiatform and two cabinets with vertical, parallel side walls on the ends of said platform, the parallel vertical side walls of the two cabinets being arranged at a distance facing each other across a free space above the platform provided for accommodating a seated operator and the work piece, said cabinets being provided with instrument panels, projecting upwardly therefrom, and located within reach of the seated operator, said panels carrying current outlets, switches, connectors and instruments and said cabinets being further provided with testing appliances housed within the same on both sides of the free space occupied by the seated operator, a plurality of independent movable and adjustable supporting means for supporting independently different sections'of a radio set, said supporting means being held in the free space above the platform between the parallel vertical cabinet walls, one of the supporting means comprising longitudinally moving members, housed within the cabinets and extensible into the free space between the cabinets to a variable and adjustable degree, and another supporting means including means for holding a section of the radio set at a distance from the longitudinally moving extensible members and for adjusting the angular position of the said last named supporting means for one section of the' radio set with respect to the first named supporting means for another section of the radio set.

3. A repair unit for radio sets provided with loud speakers, comprising a movable carriage including a platform and two cabinets with vertical, parallel side walls on the ends of said platform, the parallel vertical side walls of the cabinets facing each other across a free space above said platform, provided to accommodate and seat an operator and the radio set to be repaired, said cabinets being provided with instrument panels projecting upwardly therefrom and located within reach of the seated operator in the free space, said panels carrying current outlets, switches, connectors and instruments, and said cabinets being further provided with testing appliances housed within the said cabinets on both sides of the free space occupied by the seated operator, and a plurality of independently movable and adjustable supporting means for supporting independently different sections of a radio set, said supporting means being held in the free space between the parallel vertical cabinet Walls above the said platform.

4. A repair unit for radio sets provided with loud speakers, comprising a movable carriage, including a platform and two cabinets with vertical parallel side walls arranged on the ends of said platform. the parallel vertical side walls of the cabinets facing each other across a free space provided above said platform for accommodating aseated operator and the radio set to be repaired, said cabinets being provided with instrument panels projecting upwardly therefrom, and located within reach of the seated operator, said panels carrying current outlets, switches, connectors and instruments and said cabinets being further provided with testing appliances, housed within, the same, on both sides of the free space occupied by the seated operator, a plurality of independently movable and adjustable supporting means, for independently supporting different sections and units of a radio set, said supporting means being held in the free space above the platform between the vertical parallel cabinet walls, one of said supporting means including manually adjustable and longitudinally movable members, housed in the cabinets arranged on both sides of the platform and adapted to be moved by the operator into the free space between the aforesaid vertical cabinet side walls facing each other.

A repair unit for radio sets provided with loud speakers according to claim 4 and comprising in addition transverse supporting rails carried and held by said longitudinally movable members in substantial parallelism to said side walls and adjustable clamping means transversely movable with respect to said longitudinally movable members and carried by the same to clamp the radio set section to be repaired on said rails.

6. A repair unit for radio sets provided with loud speakers comprising a movable carriage, including a platform and two cabinets erected at the end of said platform and provided with vertical parallel side walls, facing each other at a distance with a free space provided between them above said platform for accommodating a seated operator and the radio set to be repaired, said cabinets being provided with instrument panels projecting upwardly therefrom and located within reach of the seated operator in the said free space, said panels carrying current outlets, switches, connectors and instruments, and said cabinets being further provided with testing appliances, housed within the cabinets on both sides of the free space occupied by the seated operator, a plurality of independently movable and adjustable supporting means for independently supporting different sections and units of a radio set, said supporting means being held in the free space above the platform between the parallel cabinet walls, one of said supporting means including longitudinally movable aligned coaxial shafts housed within the cabinets and projecting from the vertical parallel cabinet walls into the free space between said walls and adapted to be moved axially towards and away from each other, the extent to which said shafts project from the side walls being manually adjustable, a transverse rail fixed to each of the shafts, and an adjustable clamping member carried by each of said shafts, means within each cabinet for longitudinally guiding and holding each shaft, said means including a collar carried by said shaft and provided with a roller and a guiding track extending within said cabinets at right angles to the parallel vertical side walls, and further supporting means projecting into the free space between the vertical side walls for holding a further section of the radio set.

7. A repair unit for radio sets provided with loud speakers comprising a movable carriage, including a platform and two cabinets erected at the end of said platform and provided with vertical parallel side walls, facing each other at a distance with a free space provided between them above said platform for accommodating a seated operator and the radio set to be repaired, said cabinets being provided with instrument panels projecting upwardly therefrom and located within reach of the seated operator in the said free space, said panels carrying current outlets, switches, connectors and instruments, and said cabinets being further provided with testing appliances, housed within the cabinets on both sides of the free space occupied by the seated operator, a plurality of. independently movable and adjustable supporting means for independently supporting axially towards and away from each other the extent to which said shafts project from the side walls being manually adjustable, a transverse rail fixed to each of the shafts, and an adjustable clamping member carried by each of said shafts, means within each cabinet for longitudinally guiding and holding each shaft, said means including a collar carried by said shaft and provided with a roller and a guiding track extending within said cabinets at right angles to the parallel vertical side walls, and another supporting means including sleeves rotatably mounted within the two vertical side walls of the cabinets facing each other, brackets projecting from said sleeves in substantial parallelism to the vertical side walls and a frame joining said brackets for holding the loud speaker section of a radio set to be repaired at a distance from said shaft.

8. A repair unit for radio sets provided with loud speakers comprising a movable carriage, including a platform and two cabinets erected at the end of said platform and provided with vertical parallel side walls, facing each other at a distance with a free space provided between them above said platform for accommodating a seated operator and the radio set to be repaired, said cabinets being provided with instrument panels projecting upwardly therefrom and located within reach of the seated operator in the said free space, said panels carrying current outlets, switches, connectors and instruments, and said cabinets being further provided with testing appliances, housed within the cabinets on both sides of the free space occupied by the seated operator, a plurality of independently movable and adjustable supporting means for independently supporting different sections and units of a radio set, said supporting means being held in the free space above the platform between the parallel cabinet walls, one of said supporting means including longitudinally movable aligned coaxial shafts housed within the cabinets and projecting from 10 the vertical parallel cabinet walls into the free space between said walls and adapted to be moved axially towards and away from each other the extent to which said shafts project from the side walls being manually adjustable, a transverse rail fixed to each of the shafts, and an adjustable clamping member carried by each of said shafts, means within each cabinet for longitudinally guiding and holding each shaft, said means including a collar carried by said shaft and provided with a roller and a guiding track extending within said cabinets at right angles to the parallel vertical side walls, and another supporting means including sleeves rotatably mounted within the two vertical side walls of the cabinets facin each other, brackets projecting from said sleeves in substantial parallelism to the vertical side walls and a frame joining said brackets for holding the loud speaker section of a radio set to be repaired at a distance from said shaft, means for releasably coupling one of said shafts with one of said sleeves, and foot operated means, operated by a treadle on the platform, for coupling and uncoupling the shaft and sleeves so as to enable the operator to move the supports either conjointly or to adjust their relative angular position.

WILLIE L. DOCKRAY. ROGER H. BRUESEWITZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,398,096 Frair Nov.22, 1921 1,481,503 Carswell et a1 Jan. 22, 1924 1,600,835 Manley Sept. 21, 1926 1,875,624 Lowry Sept. 6, 1932 2,413,922 Jensen et al. Jan. 7, 1947 

